Between the success of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies and the overall fabulousness of the look, women's pirate costumes are more in demand than ever, for both Halloween and any occasion that calls for dressing up. You can buy, rent or make a costume that suits your look and hit the party's deck in style.
Styles of Women's Pirate Costumes
Although piracy has been around since the first merchant took to the sea, the popular look for the costume has always ranged from the seventeenth to the eighteenth century style. The various looks for women are really just variations on the theme.
The most popular is the pirate wench, featuring a loose or ruffled blouse cut low, with a tight bodice over it. This goes over snug trousers and knee-high boots. Add a sword, a tri-corner hat and perhaps an eye patch, and you're ready to cause trouble.
A pirate can be a lady, too. A blouse with a ruffled neck under the bodice and a knee-length or longer skirt over a petticoat shows that you may be an outlaw, but you're still decidedly feminine.
The female pirate can also be captain of her ship. This woman wants to look powerful and elegant. Over the ruffled blouse and bodice, she wears a three-quarter length coat, preferably in a rich fabric and well-cut. She wears slightly loose trousers and very expensive boots. Her hat is arrayed with a feather and her sword might have jewels on the handle. She's earned her status.
Shopping for Women's Pirate Costumes
Everywhere from your local discount store to costume rental shop will have something in the way of a pirate costume. Once you decide what sort of pirate you'd like to be, you might want to do some online shopping first to get a sense of looks and prices.
Start with Buy Pirate Costumes, which, as you can guess from the name, has everything pirate you can imagine, and probably even some stuff you never dreamed of but have to have. In the adult pirate costumes section, they have twelve choices alone, and there is a whole separate section for sexy costumes. Some of your choices include:
- Authentic Pirate Wench (very elaborate)
- Caribbean Pirate Girl
- Female Pirate
- Female Pirate Queen
- Pirate Wench
- Plus Size Royal Lady Pirate
- Realistic Female Pirate
- Renaissance Pirate
- Ruby Female Pirate
- Ruby Female Plus Size
- Sea Wench
- Sea Wench Plus Size
Accessories include boots, hats, swords, pistols, eye patches, gold teeth, treasure maps, pouches, belts, tattoos and a stuffed parrot for your shoulder.
Another good site to investigate is Pirate Merch. They have a lot of fun and elaborate costumes ranging from sexy to regal, including:
- Barbarossa
- Pirate Merchant's Wife - Plus Size
- Tavern Wench
- Pirate Peasant
- Punk Pirate
Finally, if you want a really beautiful costume that you'll keep forever, visit Very Merry Seamstress, which has frock coats, bodices and pirate gowns on offer, as well as handmade boots and dazzling accessories.
Making Pirate Costumes for Women
With so many costumes to choose from, why make your own womens pirate costume? Making your own costume can be easy and fun and you will look unique. Pirates were undeniably individual, so if you can spare the time and effort, you should try to be so as well.
Making a costume can be as simple as making a visit to your local thrift shop. A loose white blouse, loose trousers and a tight vest topped with a bandanna and eye patch will make for an economical costume that you won't mind getting dirty.
You can also pair a corset top with a petticoat and two different colored skirts. Add a tri-corner hat, a sword and knee-high boots and you're your own wench.
For something more elaborate, look for patterns by all the major companies, like Simplicity and McCalls.
Finally, remember pirates were all about swag, as well as swagger. This is one occasion where you can't go wrong with too much jewelry. Big fake stone rings, a choker, bracelets, jeweled pins in the hat and on the belt, you want it all.
And don't forget your weapon of choice! You need it to whap anyone who misuses the phrase "yo ho, ho!"
